Today, in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, at Korea University, one of the largest higher education events in the Asia-Pacific region — the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025 — officially began. The summit brought together over 1,200 delegates from across Asia, a region of growing global interest. Among the participants is the delegation from Abai University, led by Chairman of the Board – Rector Bolat Tilep.

At the opening ceremony, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered a keynote speech, emphasizing that education is the foundation of global cooperation, innovation, and responsibility. He highlighted the importance of developing critical thinking, empathy, and global citizenship within universities. Ban Ki-moon noted that education acts as a bridge connecting nations and generations, concluding his speech with John F. Kennedy’s famous words from 1962: “Cross the border and extend a helping hand.”

One of the most remarkable moments of the summit was the presentation by Dr. Kazuo Yano, a representative of the international company Hitachi, who spoke about artificial intelligence. He demonstrated the real capabilities of AI, showing an example of an interview created and voiced in real-time by artificial intelligence.

Rector Bolat Änapiyauly of Abai University shared his impression:

“Kazuo Yano is the first scientist in the world to develop artificial intelligence based on quantum algebra and link it to human behavior. For him, AI is not only a source of scientific and technological progress but also a foundation for human happiness — a ‘revolution of historical consciousness.’ His ideas are truly profound and inspiring.”

Abai University is actively exploring the integration of artificial intelligence into the educational process and has already developed methodological guidelines for its use in pedagogy. Participation in such a significant international summit is highly valuable for the university’s faculty and researchers.

As part of the program, the Abai University delegation attended panel sessions on leadership in higher education, developing “green” talents, and analytical tools of the QS Analytics platform.

The highlight of the day was the announcement of the QS Asia University Rankings 2026 results. Abai University proudly achieved the 138th position in this prestigious ranking. Over the past four years, the university has consistently remained among the Top 150 universities in Asia, demonstrating steady progress and growth. Moving forward, Abai University aims to further strengthen its position as a leading pedagogical institution in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

The summit, themed “Empowering Multiple Generations Across the Asia-Pacific: Skills and Partnerships,” will continue in the coming days.

Abai University
Press Service